Pride and Prejudice and Purebloods
by Sanrodri
Summary: HP/DM set to Pride and Prejudice. Yes, there will be smut EVENTUALLY (thus the M rating). But not for a long while. Not epilogue compliant. Set in modern times.
1. The Reunion

**Big thanks to ****ToneeLabradeen for being my beta for this chapter and all the following ones that I have yet to write. This story is based on PnP and might even take a bit from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. We will see what happens. I will add original content as well, of course. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing this. I've been thinking about doing this for a while and only recently got the nerve. **

**Have fun, lovelies! As usual, if I have any typos, feel free to correct me and I will update the chapter with your corrections. Please review so that I can know what you are liking and what you aren't. I like to use your input to better my work.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh my! My my my! Merlin! Oh heavens! Arthur! Arthur, dear!"

Arthur Weasley looked up from a fascinating conversation about light bulbs with Harry to pay attention to his frantic wife.

"Is something wrong?"

Mrs. Weasley's eyes gleamed and she held a letter up in triumph. The letter's carrier, an old, tired looking owl, hooted disdainfully before flapping out the kitchen window of the burrow and into the morning sky.

"No! It's wonderful! There's going to be a Wizard's ball! I haven't been to one in ages!"

"What's a Wizard's ball?" asked Harry as he took a mouthful of chocolate frog.

"You shouldn't eat that, darling. As an Auror, you need meat to keep your strength up. Why didn't you touch the bacon and eggs I made you?"

Harry smiled weakly and put the chocolate frog away. He had gotten to the burrow earlier than expected that morning, and Mrs. Weasley had promptly begun to make him breakfast despite his protests. He wasn't used to eating so early in the morning and didn't particularly like it. He was, however, always in the mood for a bit of chocolate.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley. What is a Wizard's ball?"

"Remember the Yule ball you had? It's a bit like that, but more _magical."_

"What does that mea-"

"Oi! What's going on down here? Harry! You made it early, mate! Let me go get Hermione." Ron dashed away before Harry could protest. Muffled screams were soon heard from upstairs.

"Ron! GET THE BLOODY HELL OUT OF OUR ROOM!"

"Ginny! Ha-"

"IT'S FIVE IN THE MORNING!"

"What on earth is going on?!"

"Hermione, Har-"

"GET OUT! I'VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TO TIMES TO-"

"WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING?"

Harry thought that was Charlie's voice, but it might have been Bill.

"I just wanted to tell Hermione that Harry is here!"

There was a loud squeak and soon Hermione and Ron were running down the stairs and Harry was being pulled into a tight hug. He was glad his friends had missed him as much as he had missed them, but he was a bit worried that George had been woken up by the yelling. If so, there might be a prank in a future…

"You were gone so long, Harry! Can you tell us what assignment you were on now? I was worried sick!"

"'Mione, you know that's all official and secret stuff." He gave the woman a wink so she could know they would talk about it later. He couldn't discuss his high profile cases in public.

Ron clapped him on the back.

"I knew you would make it back in time for the wedding. I told Hermione to calm down, but she kept going on and on about who I'd pick for my best man if you didn't show up. Bloody drove me mad, this one."

"There's going to be a Wizard's ball!" Mrs. Weasley's shout caught everyone off guard and Harry grabbed for his wand on instinct.

"I CAN'T GET ANY SLEEP, CAN I?! Oh! Harry! Welcome back!"

Ginny skipped downstairs, followed by a smiling Luna Lovegood, and hugged Harry before grabbing a piece of toast and munching on it. Harry hadn't seen Ginny in over six months since his Auror schedule and her Quidditch schedule never matched up. It was just one of the many reasons that had kept them apart after the war, but Harry was grateful. He and Ginny had changed in so many ways that he didn't think they'd ever be able to be more than friends or fake siblings, even if he weren't gay. As for Luna, it didn't surprise Harry to see her here. He had become close with her after working a case involving rare magical beasts, and had learned that she had moved in with Ginny (upon Ginny's insistence) after her father died. Harry mused that he was closer to the blond than he was to Ginny these days. Time had an interesting way of twisting things.

Charlie and Bill came down the stairs with smiles on their faces, followed by an uncharacteristically quiet George. That didn't bode well for Harry…

"Bill! Charlie! How have you guys been? Where's Fleur?"

"Why are you all not listening! There is a ball! A _WIZARD'S _BALL!"

Ginny gasped and Fleur peeked her head out from the top of the stairs as if someone had mentioned that they were giving out free Galleons.

"Luna! We have to go shopping! Thanks mum!" And with that Ginny was out of sight with Luna following behind. It was strange to see the redhead's face pink with excitement over a ball when Harry usually saw her snarling as she raced across a Quidditch pitch.

"At last! Someone hears me!"

"What's a Wizard's ball?"

"I told you, Harry. It's magical. And it's being held by Neville Longbottom! What do you think Harry?"

"Er… Great?"

"Arthur is going to go formally call on Neville to make a good first impression after so many years, and then we need to get you and Ginny new robes. Oh, and Luna as well! That child might as well be my own. Now, Neville is an eligible young man and all three of you would be lucky to have him. I wonder if he prefers men or women…"

Harry blanched. _What?! Mrs. Weasley was excited because she wanted to set him (or Ginny or Luna) up with Neville? And what on earth was a Wizard's Ball?!_

"I'm fine, really, I don't need a boyfr-"

"Rubbish. You've been alone since you and Ginny didn't work out. A shame, really. But we must keep moving forward! Arthur! You will call on Neville, yes?"

"Of course, dear." Mr. Weasley looked as if he wanted to do nothing less than call on Neville, but there was no use fighting his wife when she got into one of these moods.

Harry groaned as Mrs. Weasley tugged on his arm, insisting that they needed to practice different hairstyles on him. "It always sticks up so much!" Ron gave him an encouraging smile as he was pulled up the stairs into Fleur's room. The blond gave him a wide grin and shut the door behind them, only to scowl as soon as Harry's hair turned bright pink.

_George._

* * *

Draco Malfoy gave his menu back to the waiter of _The Sleeping Dragon _and turned to face Neville Longbottom.

"Now, why are you holding a Wizard's Ball of all things, Longbottom? This was supposed to be a business trip, not a Holiday. Especially not a Holiday in the 19th century."

Neville sighed helplessly, causing Draco to get more annoyed. _Where does this man get off planning balls? Not even Malfoys throw balls anymore._

"I thought you of all people would be excited for a pureblood tradition, Draco. Honestly, I just thought it would be fun. My grandmother used to talk about them all the time when I was young and I always wanted to have one. Now that I have the money, I figured why not?"

"Why not? Because it's a waste of resources and it belongs in children's fairytales. A man of your dignity should not be throwing Wizard's Balls. A normal ball, fine. But a Wizard's Ball? You might as well decorate the room with fairies and pronounce to the world that you plan to find the love of your life."

Neville's cheeks reddened and Draco rolled his eyes. _So that's what he's up to. I should have known._

"It will also be great for the community!" said Neville once he lost a bit of his embarrassment. He seemed determined to convince Draco that this was a wonderful idea. "We came here to get investors for our Plant and Wildlife Reserve, and if we hold the ball in the name of that project, it will spread news, and in no time people will be lining up to throw Galleons at us."

Draco was going to respond. He was going to tell Neville that there were less silly, romantic ways of getting people to talk about their project. He was going to tell his business partner and friend of six years that a normal ball would suffice if he insisted on dancing his way into their investor's pockets. He was going to say all this and more, but the way Neville looked at him with those large brown eyes…

"Oh, fine. But don't expect me to enjoy myself."

"I never do."

* * *

A week later, Harry was dressed in deep green ("Emerald!" Mrs. Weasley had corrected earlier that morning) robes. His hair had, as usual, fought off any type of grooming, whether it be magical or not, but the rest of him, he had to admit, looked pretty good. He was wearing a pair of glasses bought specifically for formal events. They were frameless and the legs were made of tiny, silver, woven leaves. Mrs. Weasley had urged him to buy them. He would have been happy to buy the gold pair, but according to the redheaded woman, they detracted attention from his eyes. He had made the mistake of asking what the point was of getting fancy glasses if he didn't want to detract attention from his eyes. The lecture he had gotten for that had lasted a good ten minutes.

Now that Harry saw how the glasses fit on face, how the robes hugged his shoulders and then hung elegantly around him, how the silver clasp on the robes balanced perfectly with the legs of his glasses… Well, he was quite impressed. He had never known Mrs. Weasley to be good with fashion, but it seemed that the woman was always full of surprises.

"Harry! You are dressed, wonderful. We are just waiting on Hermione to finish with her hair and then we are headed to the apparition point. Also, mum wants me to tell you that there are rumors that Neville is showing up with a man and a woman, though they are not his dates. She says that if you don't like the men, then you should reconsider women."

Harry snorted. Mrs. Weasley had always been fine with him being gay, but she was sure that that's not where the story ended (_"You dated Ginny! And Cho Chang!")._

"Tell her that I'm very sorry to inform her, but I don't want a boyfriend and I certainly don't want a girlfriend."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure. I'll do just that." She scoffed and left the room, leaving Harry to holster his wand and head downstairs alone.

The whole Weasley clan was there, including Percy and his lovely wife, whose name Harry still couldn't remember. He loved that the Weasleys insisted on having a month-long family reunion each year. Usually, only people like Ron, Hermione, Percy, and Luna could make it. People with stable jobs. Harry often came during the reunion, but he tended to miss a few family dinners due to the nature of his job. As for the other Weasleys, business often kept them away. Harry was surprised that everyone had made it this year. Or at least, everyone related by blood. A few spouses weren't present…

"Oi! Harry!" George called at him from across the room. "I've been assigned to be your wingman for the trip since Angelina isn't here to take up my valuable time with dancing." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "Ready to find a mate? And by mate, I don't mean friend."

Harry groaned as George clapped him on the shoulder. A few gasps suddenly echoed through the room and he turned to see Hermione. No matter how many times she dressed up like this, he'd never get used to her looking like a high-end model when she actually tried. _I much prefer her bushy-haired. _Ron beamed and wrapped an arm around his fiancé.

"Let's go let's go!" urged Mrs. Weasley and they all walked to the apparition point.

When they got to the ball, it was in full swing, but Neville had yet to arrive with his friends and Mrs. Weasley was growing antsy.

"Calm down dear."

"I will not calm down, Arthur! This is an important day for the future of our children!"

Luna chimed in with her singsong voice.

"It's alright, Arthur. This is how she releases stress."

"Bless you, dear." Mrs. Weasley brought Luna in for a hug just as the doors of the ballroom opened and Neville Longbottom walked in. A hush fell over their group and they strained to look around. Harry could see Neville standing tall and grinning from ear to ear. He was obviously pleased with how the Wizard's Ball had turned out. There were magical, twinkling lights floating about, casting a warm glow in the room, and the ballroom was one of the most exquisite that Harry had ever seen. It rivaled that of the one used to hold the annual Ministry Ball. What Harry still didn't understand though was what was so _magical_ and _special_ about a Wizard's Ball. But before he could think to ask again, his eyes were drawn to a blond head of hair on Neville's right.

Neville's friend was Draco Malfoy. _And…And is that Pansy Parkinson?_

It was going to be a long night.


	2. The Wizard's Ball

Draco Malfoy held is head high as he strode through the room of dancing strangers. He hid perfectly how uncomfortable he felt in the random crowd, but didn't try as much to hide his distaste for the gaudy decorations and the cliché lights floating above his head. _Neville should have let my decorator tackle this mess when he had the chance…_

"Neville, dear! It's so wonderful to see you again! Have you seen Ginny, Luna, and Harry?" Draco winced and turned his head. The mother of the Weasleys was standing in front of Neville and speaking to him as if she were one of his most intimate friends. That kind of presumed familiarity annoyed Draco to no end. Where had class and etiquette gone? There was still much to be said about the benefits of pureblood tradition. He only wished the Weasleys thought the same.

"Oh, I haven't. Hi! Harry! It's great to see you. You haven't changed a bit!"

Draco looked at Harry Potter, who had obviously changed very much. He was taller, more muscular, and had the typical Auror look in his eyes. His hair, however, was the same as always. Draco suppressed a scoff.

"It's great to see you too," said Potter. "Oh, look! Ginny and Luna are back from dancing. You guys should catch up!"

"Yeah, of course! Uh, you remember Draco and Pansy?"

Potter gave a polite smile.

"Hello Parkinson. Malfoy." Pansy gave a curt bow and Draco simply nodded in Harry's general direction. "Right. Well… I have to go find Ron and Hermione. I promised them I'd tell them about my latest injury. I'll see you lot later."

Mother Weasley gave Potter an infuriated glare (_how very interesting…) _before she turned and shoved her daughter and the Lovegood girl in Neville's direction.

Draco sighed and left his two friends to socialize. He had never liked balls simply because there was never anyone who he wanted to dance with. He took out a notebook from the folds of his robes and began to write down ideas for the Wildlife Preserve. If he was going to be stuck in a room of common people who didn't so much as know what the word "investing" meant, then he'd at least get a bit of work done. He'd leave the schmoozing to when money was actually on the line.

* * *

"He seems like a prick to me, 'Mione. Same as always."

"I don't know… He's friends with Neville. Neville wouldn't have befriended him if Malfoy hadn't changed…"

"He has changed. Don't you see? He's even more insufferable now than before."

Harry and Hermione were sitting on a balcony, letting the cool breeze roll over them as they looked through the windows at the crowd inside. Draco Malfoy had been scribbling in his notebook for the past ten minutes even though there were plenty of people without a partner, and many were eyeing him as if they fancied a dance.

"He's much less social, but perhaps he simply doesn't like dancing. You have hardly danced all night yourself!"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"That's because I've been hiding from Mrs. Weasley and her matchmaking attempts. The last time I went in there, she had me dance with Pansy Parkinson. I've never felt so uncomfortable in my entire life."

"Draco danced with her too."

"She's the only one he has danced with. I'm surprised they haven't announced their engagement yet."

Hermione smiled.

"You'd think with him owning half of London, she'd have snapped him up already."

"_HALF_ of London? How does one man own half of London?"

Hermione shrugged.

"I hear he owns a lot of building and such. I don't have many of the details, but I don't really care for once to know everything. Draco Malfoy is not exactly on my list of priorities."

Harry laughed.

"It's alright Hermione. He probably owns the half where all the gits live."

* * *

It was midnight now, and Draco felt that he had stayed long enough to support Neville. He danced once more with Pansy and headed to his friend so that he could excuse himself properly.

"What?! You can't leave! It hasn't even transitioned into a proper Wizard's Ball yet!" Neville gave him his signature big brown eyes, but this time Draco refused to give in.

"I've been here long enough, Longbottom. I-"

"Call me Neville in public for once in your life!" Draco narrowed his eyes and pulled the man to the balcony. He didn't want Neville to cause a scene. Before they could get through the doors though, Neville stopped him. "Listen. Dance a bit more. Try to enjoy yourself. Harry Potter is somewhere around. Didn't you fancy him in school?"

_That's beside the point._

"I never _fancied_ Potter and never will. He might have filled out a bit, but he is still not nearly attractive enough for my refined tastes. Why don't _you_ dance more with Luna Lovegood? I noticed how you've been looking at her. Enjoy your night and the magic that's to come."

Neville seemed to give up and finally shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright. But you have to say good bye to the Weasleys first. Mrs. Weasley has been asking for you all night."

"Of course she has."

* * *

"Harry I'm so sorry!"

Harry was stunned. They had heard and seen everything from the other side of the doors. They were made of windows and since there were no lights on the balcony, it seemed that the two men inside hadn't noticed their close presence. If they had simply stepped outside though… _Not nearly attractive enough? Really? Well, I suppose it's better than what he used to say about me._

"It's alright Hermione. He owns Git London. I wouldn't dance with him regardless of how attractive he found me."

Hermione seemed unconvinced, but she didn't question Harry about the subject.

"Shouldn't we head in? I'm going to be a Weasley soon and Molly probably won't let Draco leave until he has said good bye to all three of her single children."

Harry shrugged and let Hermione hold on to his arm as he led her back in to the ballroom. He didn't miss that Draco Malfoy turned around the moment they came inside. The blond, to his credit, showed no surprise and simply turned back to follow Neville to where Luna and Ginny were standing. Harry quickened his pace so that they could get this over with.

"Neville, this has been fantastic fun! I can't wait fo-"

"Neville, dear!" Mrs. Weasley had popped out of nowhere and interrupted her daughter. "Why aren't you still dancing with Luna? You two seemed to be having so much fun!"

Neville smiled (Harry noticed that the smile was genuine) and he held out his hand to Luna before giving Malfoy a serious glance and heading off to dance. As they walked away, glitter seemed to fall from the ceiling, only to disappear at the touch of skin. Harry could feel the strange substance fading away on his hands and face.

"I'm so sorry," drawled Malfoy, unimpressed by the splendor that surrounded him, "but I must be heading home."

"Oh, one dance with Ginny, Mr. Malfoy. I don't believe you two have danced yet. Perhaps sparks will fly!"

Malfoy seemed to be suppressing a strong urge to roll his eyes.

"I am truly sorry, but I have work waiting for me at home. I'm positive that Ms. Weasley will find other eligible bachelors with whom to dance with. Mr. Potter here is a prime example."

"I'm not the right sort of eligible for _Ms. Weasley, _Malfoy."

"Excuse me?"

"I much prefer to dance with men. But only those attractive enough for my _refined taste."_

Harry didn't know what had made him say it, but the satisfaction of seeing Malfoy's eye give a small twitch before he bowed and excused himself from the room was all Harry needed to justify his little dig. Hermione tutted disapprovingly, but he simply laughed and let his gaze follow Luna and Neville twirling to the music, causing glitter to fly about around them. Suddenly the _magic_ of a Wizard's Ball became perfectly clear. It was a ball tailored specifically to help people fall in love, and as he gazed at his blond friend, he couldn't help that think that the ball's magic had done its job.

* * *

Draco slipped into his study's chair and let out a deep sigh. Damn Potter and his stupid mouth and his stupid skill of being everywhere and hearing everything. Damn him and his ability to waltz back into Draco's life and muck it all up all over again.

_Calm down, Draco. This isn't Hogwarts. This isn't the Auror Academy or the Ministry or post-war trials, or anything that involves the Boy who Lived. You are a businessman. You are calm and collected. Harry Potter has no hold on you any more…_

_Now I just need to believe that. _


	3. The Invitation

**Thanks to everyone for the interest in the story and thanks to those of you who have sent me kind words. I thoroughly appreciate the feedback and I hope you are liking everything so far. Feel free to review and feel free to correct me.**

**Also, I had surgery on Wednesday, so I will probably only update this fic once a week for a month until I recover. I will do my best to do more though!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Yes, I get it, love and all that. But I didn't fall in love with anyone."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Of course you didn't. You were actively fighting _against _that. Plus, a Wizard's Ball centers all the magic on one person. Usually it's the person that wants to find love the most. If their match is in the room, then they will start to fall in love as soon as they dance their first dance. Notice that I said _match_ and not _soul-mate_."

"Well how do you know if you just fancy someone you met there or if the magic picked you?"

"The person who holds the ball is usually the person who wants to find love the most. That's why they spend so much money, time, and effort into planning such a grand event. The spells around the ball can sense all that and zone in on that person. And what they feel is much stronger than just liking someone, Harry. It's been compared to the feelings one experiences while on Felix Felicis. They are invincible. In fact, the magic is very similar. You see, it urges people to make the right decisions. So whoever you dance with first, _must_ be the right person. It's truly inspiring. To even hold a Wizard's ball you need seven highly skilled Wizards who know the ways of the old pure-blood fami-"

Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat before interrupting.

"What Hermione is trying to get at dear, is that Neville danced with Luna first and he danced with her most of the night! He was fixated on her! And he held the ball! He wanted to find love and he found it! Didn't he, Luna?"

All the women and Harry were having breakfast while the men still slept upstairs. Harry had woken up early to get breakfast before work only to find Mrs. Weasley and the girls all talking about the ball. Except for Luna, of course. She was eating happily in silence. She was blushing now, though, and avoiding Mrs. Weasley's eyes.

"Harry!" Ginny called him to take attention away from Luna. "Tell us about your dance with Malfoy."

Harry almost spit out his orange juice.

"What?! I didn't dance with him!"

"Oh, please. Right before he left."

"You were all there before he left. You saw him leave!"

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _What did she see and has she told George yet?_

"No. Draco came back. He had forgotten to tell Neville something or other about work and when he went to leave, little old Mrs. Diggins grabbed you from your hiding spot and practically threw you into him! I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life!"

Mrs. Weasley frowned.

"I don't like that Malfoy boy, Harry. He was very rude. You can do much better."

"We didn't dance! We just tried to get out of each other's way and kept bumping into people on the dance floor! But it lasted about five seconds and was the most unpleasant experience of my life."

Ginny snorted.

"I don't know… Five minutes is a long time, Harry."

_I'm going to refrain from making a sexual joke due to your mother's presence. Ginny…honestly. Draco Malfoy? Don't you have anything real to tease me about?_

"I'm going to work."

As he left through the door, he could hear Ginny's laughter behind him and Mrs. Weasley's disapproving tut. It was comforting to know that some things didn't change. _Even if it's completely infuriating._

* * *

"She's brilliant, Draco. You have to meet her right away!"

Draco fought the urge not to roll his eyes. He and Neville were having a business breakfast. It was Draco's condition for not having a business dinner the night before due to the festivities. They were at a quaint muggle coffee shop in New York. Draco insisted on eating there at least once a week, despite Neville's dislike of coffee. The blond figured that if he could put up with the Indian food the Gryffindor loved so much, then he could put up with a bit of coffee once a week. The establishment was a family-owned business and had almost closed down a year before. Draco, however, would not let his favorite place close down, so he invested in the business and even made a few changes to attract more customers. Since then, he had tripled his investment. He planned to give the money to employees as Christmas gifts when the time came. After all, he didn't believe it was his to keep aside from the initial investment he put in. The profit, however, would stay with the people who had worked hard to make it possible.

"Neville, you can't be serious." Pansy sounded exasperated and Draco wondered when she had joined them. _How on earth did I not notice?_

"Why not?!"

"She's Loony Lovegood and doesn't have a cent to her name. She either danced with you because she thought you had some sort of invisible, magical _thing_ behind your ear or because she is after your money."

"What?! No! Draco, tell her!"

Draco began to drink his coffee so he wouldn't have to answer. _I don't know much about the Lovegood girl other than she has turned out to be rather attractive. What on earth would I tell Pansy about the whole situation?_

Pansy rolled her eyes at her friend's obvious aversion tactic.

"I'm sorry, Neville. You're right. I just have to meet the girl." She gave a polite smile.

Draco set his coffee down.

"And what exactly, old friend, does _that_ mean?"

* * *

"A LETTER! AND IT HAS NEVILLE'S COMPANY'S NAME ON IT! GREEN THUMB ENTERPRISES! LUNA! LUNA! OPEN IT! OPEN IT!"

Mrs. Weasley was screeching so loudly that Harry thought his ears might start bleeding soon. He knew he should have skipped dinner. It had been nearly a week since the ball, but he still heard of nothing but Neville and Luna and blah blah blah. He was happy for his friend and that she was corresponding with Neville (In secret, of course. If Mrs. Weasley were to find out she'd start planning the wedding.), but he missed the days when he could talk about work or Quidditch as well. _Now with this letter, I'm never going to hear the end of this. Couldn't Neville have been more discrete?_

Luna shakily opened the letter as Mrs. Weasley hovered over her. She had gotten out of her seat from across the dining table to be able to do exactly that. The rest of the family watched Luna open the letter with painful slowness, and waited with their breaths held.

"It's a formal invitation to dinner…" Luna managed to whisper. Mrs. Weasley seemed too happy to speak. "Oh… wait. It's from Pansy Parkinson."

"The Parkinson girl? What in Merlin's name?!" Mrs. Weasley had found her voice.

"Don't go, Luna! It's probably a trick! She must want Neville to herself!" Ginny took an angry spoonful of potatoes to add a bit of drama to her little outburst.

"Oh, who cares?" said George. "Let the girl live a little! I'm sure that dinner is going to cost more than our house! Free food, Luna! Don't turn that opportunity down!"

Harry and Ron grinned.

"You _must_ go!" declared Mrs. Weasley loudly. "It's obvious that the Parkinson woman is interested in that Malfoy boy. I saw it with my own eyes. She must be trying to see if you are good enough for her friend and you mustn't disappoint!"

"That might be a bit of a stretch, Molly."

"Nonsense, love. I'm sorry, Arthur, but you have no tact when it comes to these types of women. Luna, dear, you will go to the dinner and you will apparate there."

_Apparate? That's ridiculous!_

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, but if she apparates there, she has to walk up to the gate. Neville says Malfoy is paranoid and won't let anyone apparate within a mile of the propery they are staying in. And I know Parkinson is staying with them, though I can't imagine why. You can't let Luna walk for a mile! She needs to borrow the car."

"Nonsense! She doesn't know how to drive and everyone they know has to be here, eating dinner at that time. No. Luna will apparate and walk."

Luna seemed bothered by the plans.

"I heard it was going to rain. I already have a cough and if I get si-"

"It will fine dear! Don't you fret! Now let's pick out your robes…"

* * *

Draco tossed his coat aside and sank into a large, comfortable chair that he kept in his room. Where he was staying wasn't exactly Malfoy Manor, but it was spacious enough for his tastes. _At least the house elves are competent. Perhaps staying here a month more or so wouldn't be too bad. As long as Neville doesn't throw any more balls. That man's latest obsession with love is mortifying. _

Draco let himself stretch out, his muscles aching with the movement. He sighed deeply as the day's tension left his body and he lounged carelessly, devoid of all of his usual poise and pomp. He'd had a long day balancing Neville's lovesick monologues and potential investors. It was no time to worry about propriety. _At least not in the privacy of my own room._

He walked over to a large bookcase and skimmed it for something interesting. Tolstoy? _Not in the mood._ Merlin? _Not in the mood. _The Grand Maltrot? _Interesting._

CRACK!

"Master Draco! We is having a visitor who is sick! Mistress Pansy says we must keep guest overnight, but I says I has to ask Master Draco first."

Draco blinked. _The Grand Maltrot may be overrated… Perhaps I'll reread a novel from my childhood. I'm in the mood for something light tonight._

"Master Draco?"

_Or I could go to sleep early… Or try to strategize a bit more for tomorrow's meeting…_

"Is Master Draco sick?"

"I'm fine, Wobbly. Tell Pansy that she can do whatever she pleases. You don't have to come to me for this type of situation, but thank you for taking my needs into consideration. You are a wonderful elf. Now please leave me. I am trying to decide on an activity for the night."

The elf beamed and gave a low bow, but did not leave.

"Mistress Pansy says that if Master Draco is allowing the guest to stay, then Master Draco is needing to say hello."

Draco's eye gave a slight twitch. _What a bothersome habit. I need to learn to stop that. _

"Fine. Fine, I will see our sick guest. I'll get dressed right away. Do you know who has come through our doors in ill health?" _Who would come over if they were already sick? And since when does Pansy have friends who visit?_

"Luna Lovegood. She is eating with Mistress Pansy."

"Ah. Thank you, Wobbly. You are dismissed."

CRACK

Draco abandoned his bookshelf and instead began to change into the proper dinner attire. He knew what Pansy was up to and he didn't like it. But if his friend insisted on interviewing Luna Lovegood, then Draco wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. He may not care about silly gossip, but he cared about Neville's wellbeing and Luna Lovegood seemed to pose a threat to his best friend's heart.

_Let's see if she is as wonderful as he says._


End file.
